Takakiro, or “Takiro” as Fayte was finding his nickname more, was proving somewhat elusive. He was a Shadow Heart member, so of course he wasn’t going to be easy to track. Fayte figured that out as soon as she heard how rarely he came to the guild hall. At least he was notorious enough to gain a reaction when she asked about him. Apparently he was a “delinquent” and didn’t “deserve” her company. (Fayte was a little confused by some of the descriptions regarding Takakiro, since Shadow Heart wasn’t exactly known for having a clean reputation.) Quite a few men had been indignant that she was even looking for him, although Fayte failed to understand their reasoning.

She had promised Kyle in his final moments that she would deliver his message to Takakiro. The two were close friends, or something like that, if Kyle’s words were enough indication about their relationship. The whole reason Kyle had joined Shadow Heart was for Takakiro. Now Kyle was dead. Fayte wondered if Takakiro would care, or if Kyle had just been a very convenient pawn. Having a takeover mage indebted to him must have certainly been useful. Especially in a place with dangerous missions like Shadow Heart. Eventually Fayte’s search provided Takakiro’s residence in Crocus. Although he was apparently out at strange hours of night and difficult to catch, Fayte figured that it would be easier to find him there than in Shadow Heart.

The outside of Takakiro’s apartment complex looked fairly unimpressive. It was certainly on the smaller scale considering Crocus’s options, and the rest of the area was littered with trash and a few buildings that were falling apart. Clearly this wasn’t exactly the best place to raise a family. Fayte might have waited for Takakiro outside the complex… if she knew what he looked like. So far his only description had been that he had black hair, was along the shorter side, and looked like a native of Hosenka. A lot of people could fit that description, and Fayte didn’t want to jump the wrong person. Spewing Shadow Heart secrets to random strangers wasn’t the highest on her priority list. The locks practically fell beneath Fayte’s touch, the lightest of shoves opening both the initial apartment entrance, and Takakiro’s personal room of 126.

Now Fayte didn’t judge people’s personal living spaces. Whether it was clean or messy, she wouldn’t have blinked or made much of an assumption about him. But there was a certain unavoidable expectation when one entered the living space of another. Certain things became so normal that it was only abnormal when they were out of place. Takakiro’s apartment didn’t look like anything Fayte had ever seen before… and she had seen plenty of secret laboratories, family style living spaces, bachelor messes, and others. It came with being well-traveled and the need to surprise her opponents; Fayte just naturally saw where different people lived.

But she had never saw a place like Takakiro’s. If she had to put a word to describe it… maybe cult-like was the best one. There were strange symbols, some carved and others drawn with chalk, scattered across the walls and floors. To the point where Fayte wasn’t quite sure where to step without stepping on these symbols. Although she could feel no magical pulse from them, there was a chance they were some kind of booby trap. That, or Takakiro was just into the cult arcane… fully possible. There were a few circles with runes and other strange symbols carved in them, some looking a lot more like they were drawn in blood than in others.

If Fayte was the more squeamish type, maybe it would have bothered her. Maybe she would’ve been creeped out and had second thoughts about meeting this guy. Kyle had spoken highly of him, but how far did that go? Although Fayte was not quite ‘scared’ by Takakiro’s strange living arrangements… it did make her pause. Think that whoever she was meeting, was not going to be a normal person.

She didn’t have much opportunity for second thoughts. Shortly after entering and observing that navigating this apartment would be difficult, the door swung open behind her. “Who the hell are you?!” He demanded instantly.

He was a man much shorter than Fayte, nearly half a foot difference. He was clearly from Hosenka, like her investigation had shown. His complexion might have shown that, but Takakiro wore notably western clothes, with torn jeans and a crooked shirt. In his hands was a baseball bat – already rising against this intruder – a weapon of common everday design, Fayte noted. The bat swung against her harshly. She caught it with the side of her arm easily, no expression crossing her face, despite the attack.

“Relax. I’m from our guild,” she said simply.

Recognition crossed Takakiro’s face. The bat fell almost instantly, but he didn’t apologize. “What are you doing, just standing here? This is my place. It’s not my fault I thought you were a burglar or something.”

“Are you Takakiro?” Fayte asked, more to make sure than anything else.

“Takiro Mayonaka,” Takiro frowned. Past the initial shock, he didn’t look too happy that Fayte had busted into his house.

Mayonaka. Fayte paused. This was the first time that she had heard his last name. And it wasn’t just any last name. Was it a coincidence? Fayte’s old guild had also been named “Mayonaka”. He was from Hosenka, too…

“So are you going to tell me who you are and what the hell you’re doing in here?” Takiro demanded when Fayte failed to say anything past his initial greeting.

“I… am Fayte Scarlett,” she introduced herself, at a much slower pace than Takiro. Blankly she met his burning gaze; Takiro’s face still etched into a frown. “I have come at the request of Kyle Chase.”

“Kyle…” Takiro’s face became a little less stern… before becoming suspicious. “…Where is he?”

“…Why would I lie?” Fayte didn’t see the point. Nor could she understand why Takiro would suspect such a thing.

“To mess with me, or maybe Kyle’s gone and done something stupid so you think it’s safer if I think he’s dead. I don’t know. Now if it’s all the same to you, get out of my house.”

“… I’m not lying,” Fayte insisted. If he was going to keep saying that, however, she wasn’t going to try and change his mind. “Do you want Kyle’s last words or not?” She wasn’t under any obligation. She had agreed on Kyle’s behalf, but she couldn’t help it if the other person wouldn’t listen.

“It doesn’t matter since it’s some speech you wrote up yourself,” Takiro glared. He moved from the door, giving Fayte clear room to pass him. “Now get out!” He practically shouted. The rest of the complex had certainly heard it, at least.

“…” Fayte had done all she could. Even if she repeated Kyle’s message, she doubted Takiro would pay any attention to it. Silently she passed by, walking out of his apartment. The door slammed shut as soon as she was cleared. The entire complex shook beneath the weight. That certainly could have gone better, and Takiro didn’t seem like quite the person Kyle wanted to believe he was.

~~~A week had passed since her meeting with Takiro. Fayte’s injury had healed up nicely, a combination of Shadow Heart medical team’s work and rest. Combined with some other injuries from other missions, Shadow Heart had given her the entire week off. Some might have been glad to rest, but it was too much time for Fayte.

She was at a park bench, one she enjoyed frequenting quite a bit in Crocus. Some birds had gathered around her feet, drawn by the bird feed she occasionally threw out. Silently she watched them devour the food, the birds practically stamping over each other in a wild dash for the seed. She fed them liberally yet still they fought each other for each scrap, as though it might be their last.

Abruptly they all turned and flew away. Stranger footsteps had frightened them off. Fayte looked up at the intruder, half expecting Atrum. It wasn’t. It was probably someone she was least expecting, Takiro Mayonaka.

“Hey,” he greeted her casually. She thought his voice sounded much more ragged than she remembered, and could see dark rings under his eyes. “Mind if I join you?”

“….” Fayte’s hand was still half frozen inside the plastic bag of bird feed. Blankly she stared at him, not really registering what he was saying. “…Sure,” she finally agreed, realizing that Takiro would stand there for an eternity, until she answered.

He nodded gratefully and practically collapsed on the bench. Fayte waited for a bit, expecting him to say something…. But nothing ever came. She had never thought silence was uncomfortable, until meeting this man. When quite a few minutes had passed, Fayte’s hand finally closed around the bird seed. She sprinkled it out in front of her. After more minutes of silence, at last the birds returned. They began devouring the food, albeit more cautiously this time… clearly not as comfortable fighting to the death in front of a stranger.

“So what did Kyle say?” Takiro finally asked. No apology or recognition about what had happened last week. Just a question after an uncomfortable amount of silence.

Fayte knew he was asking for Kyle’s last words, even if he hadn’t said it specifically. There was nothing else he could have come here for. Fayte was not the type to hold a grudge or ask for retribution. Her vendetta against Mordekai was one of personal justice. Revenge didn’t really carry over into the rest of her life. She had no reason to hide or withhold what Kyle had said for Takiro.

“He said not to give up your dream. That he’ll always be watching and supporting you, and he’ll still see the day you make it a reality,” Fayte passed on the message. It wasn’t word for word, but it was close enough. These two clearly had a bond that she did not understand.

There were no words or even a nod that Takiro had heard Fayte. She almost wondered if he had heard her, but decided that this must be… ‘grief’. The tremendous sadness that someone felt when someone passed away. Fayte had seen many people die, and Kyle was not a special case. He just happened to be his partner in a mission that had gone awry. Even when Master Xian Fei had died, Fayte wouldn’t say she was ‘sad’. Regretful, maybe, that such an amazing person had their life stolen away. And there was some other feeling, but ‘sad’ wasn’t the right word.

Fayte knew how difficult it could be to apologize – to admit that one made a mistake… and that a friend had died. For Takiro to come out here and admit such things… He showed a surprising amount of strength. Perhaps she was finally seeing the person that Kyle admired. If she respected Kyle… and Kyle respected Takiro… Did that mean she should also respect him? Perhaps if she understood more… “Kyle was strong, until the very end. He always spoke highly of you, and his last words were meant for your ears. If you don’t mind me asking… what is this dream he was talking about? Surely it must hold some weight for both of you, if Kyle was prepared to die for it.”

“I want to become Shadow Heart’s Ace,” Takiro said immediately. Even with his friend’s death, there was no hint of hesitation.

Fayte blinked a little in surprise… she had never heard someone talk like that before. Sure, others had talked about being strong. But being Shadow Heart’s ace required a certain amount of responsibility and dedication. Most in Shadow Heart were honestly more interested in themselves, than taking care of Shadow Heart itself. Shadow Heart was Fayte’s family, but not everyone thought that way.

“Why?” Fayte asked directly. She wanted to understand, why someone in a dark guild would have such a goal… Was it just prestige? If so, was that really enough for Kyle to join Shadow Heart? He had said that Takiro saved his life, so maybe that was his way of repaying him…

Takiro shot Fayte a glare, as if the two were talking about too much already. But he was tired – if the rings under his eyes were any indication. Maybe he wouldn’t have told her on a normal occasion. Perhaps out of obligation, since Fayte had given him Kyle’s message, he began to speak slowly, with halting pauses. As if just talking about it increased his fatigue.

“When I was younger, my mother and father were killed by a monster,” he looked away. Perhaps just as well, for Fayte was now staring at him even more intently. More than just the name Mayonaka, the two of them had their parents killed by a monster… “I won’t go into all the details, but the circumstances weren’t very clear. The Magic Council suspected me murder. I had a record of petty offenses and no one believed what I was saying. That’s where Shadow Heart comes in…”

He shook his head. “They didn’t care whether or not I had killed them. They cared about what I could do for them. It was like… until that moment, everything I had done was determined by what someone else thought or wanted. And suddenly… I had the option to choose it myself. I think… there’s a lot of people out there, who want to make a difference, but get drowned out by other voices. Shadow Heart… is the opportunity to change, to have our own voice, to become… vigilantes, of sorts,” he ran his hand through his hair. “Most of the requests on the board are asking us to take care of those that the law can’t punish. I know there’s some that are more on the shady side, but I want to change that. I want it to be like… “ He sighed, seeming to have second thoughts. “…Never mind, this is ridiculous.”

“No, not at all,” Fayte disagreed. She wanted him to keep talking. Shadow Heart being on the side of justice… it certainly sounded ridiculous. But then, she could see his point about it being an organization to make the ‘law’ think twice about being unjust. “So… You want to give power to those who don’t have it, and let them make their own decisions.”

“Not just that, but I want people to have a place they can belong to,” Takiro said. “Maybe it’s selfish. But I want to change the world, and give others the chance to do the same. And I don’t want it to be held back or influenced by the ‘law’… but by what people think is right. If I’m weak and complain, no one will listen. But sometimes it’s necessary to perform evil to get on the right track. If I become Ace… then people will have no choice but to listen to me.”

Fayte fell silent, thinking… It certainly sounded idealistic. Perhaps too much to become a reality. But then… Shadow Heart was family. Takiro wanted a place for others to feel comfortable in… a place that could shape Fiore, without worrying about whether the Magic Council approved or disapproved.

“Wh-what are you staring at,” Takiro glared weakly at her again. “Anyway you asked, and now you’ve got your answer. So don’t bother trying to change my mind.”

Fayte blinked, realizing that she had indeed been staring. “No, I… You sound very passionate. I can see why Kyle wanted you to succeed.” She thought she could see a faint blush, but it was hard to tell with his darker skin tone. The truth was… Fayte was glad that he had shared so much and honestly.